Travel Back in Time to Ancient Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

When “Memoirs of a Geisha” was first published, readers, including me, were enchanted by the intricate descriptions of a bygone era in Kyoto. Today, the city has retained its ancient charm in the historical Gion district whilst boasting modern conveniences for locals and travelers alike. Most attractions are walking distance to one another, and the public transportation is convenient and easy to figure out. For a more detailed article about Kyoto’s transportation options, click on my story on Navigating Kyoto. I’ve compiled a list of sites you can visit in a day to become fully enveloped in Kyoto’s charm. These places encompass the serenity, magic and splendor of the ancient city.

When you step into Hanami-koji, you will feel like you’ve been transported back in time. The streets are lined with beautifully preserved machiya houses (traditional wooden townhouses) that are now operating as restaurants serving Japanese haute cuisine. Hanami-koji is also where geiko (referring to a geisha in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice geiko) live so you could possibly catch them running to their appointments. Tourists can sometimes be quite aggressive paparazzi when they see a geiko or maiko in person so there are signs everywhere reminding us not to touch the women! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).